Convertible railway-car.



No. 888,437. PATENTBD MAY 19 1908. M. P. HENVIS & D. S. CLARK. CONVERTIBLE RAILWAY OAR.

APPLICATION FILED SEPI'.12. 1907.

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UNITED STATES PliTENT OFFICE.

MAURICE P. HENVIS AND DANIEL S. CLARK, OF NORFOLK, VIRGINIA.

CONVERTIBLE RAILWAY-CAR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 19, 1908.

Application filed September 12, 1907. Serial No. 392,495.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, MAURICE P. HENVIs and DANIEL S. CLARK, citizens of the United States, residing at Norfolk, in the county of Norfolk and State of Virginia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Convertible Railway-Oars, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention relates to convertible railway cars.

The object of the invention is to provide a street railway car that may be very quickly transformed into a summer or winter car or vice versa.

A further object is to provide a winter car that will be warm when converted into a closed car yet quickly made into a sunnner car with ease.

Further objects and advantages will i be more fully described herein and specifically pointed out in the claims recourse being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification in which Figure 1 is a cross section through one side of the car. Fig. 2 is an enlarged section of the upper portion of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a front view of the upper portion of one of the sash carrying boxes or side members. Fig. 1 is a part cross section of a modified form of an arrangement similar to that shown in Figs. 1 and 2, and Fig. 5 is a side elevation of one end of a car embodying our invention when closed or used for winter service.

In the drawings like reference numerals indicate similar parts in all the views- 1 (Fig. 5) is one of the longitudinal sills and 2 is the lower floor shown in Fig. 1.

3 is an auxiliary floor located a short distance above the floor 2 to thereby form a series of pockets 3 within which side closing members hereinafter described may be stored when the car is to be converted into an open or summer car as shown in Fig. 1.

4 are the cross sills of the car (Fig. 5).

5 are studs or uprights which support the roof cover 6 and rafters 5* and the main roof 7 of the car forming a space 7 between them for the sash boxes or side members when they are to be stored under the roof 6 on top of the car.

8 are independently movable sash carrying boxes or side members adapted to have a vertically adjustable movement within the studs 5.

9 is a beveled edge of the boxes 8 for the sash to rest upon when the window is closed as shown in dotted lines, Fig. 1.

10 are bottom pieces and 11 are straps for holding the two sides of the boxes. The sash are shown uncovered at their edges (at 13 Fig. 1) but may be entirely inclosed if desired.

12, Figs. 1 and 2, are inside beads or strips to prevent the boxes 8 from falling inwards when down or being raised.

13 are the sash adapted to be let down into the boxes when the car is transformed into an open one or during a warm spell in winter.

13 are the front strips or beading to prevent the window from falling outwards.

The window sash 13 are lowered when it is desired to open a window instead of being raised is the case with the latest convertible cars.

14 are pins one being on each strap 11 and are for the purpose of hingedly securing the sash boxes or sides 8 in a guide channel or groove 16 when being raised in order to be swung between the roof portions 6 and 7.

15 is a pocket at the end of the groove 16 and at right angles to it and is placed in both studs, 17 being a curved portion of the groove or channel making a guideway for the pins 14. The upper part of the groove from the point 17 is made into the roof beams or rafters 5'" and forms a continuation of the stud grooves 16 at or near the beginning of the curved portion 17. The grooves thus guide the sash boxes on top of the roof proper as at 7.

Transoms 18 may be employed in case the design of the car as a whole is such that the sash 13 does not completely close the opening between the upper end of the boxes 8, and such transoms are shown above the up er ends of the sash 13 in Figs. 1 and 5. WV len such transoms are used they are removed and placed in a recess 19 in the upper surface of the main roof 7 when the car is converted into an open car.

20 is the letter board adapted to be raised, lowered or removed and is for the purpose of closing the space between the roof 6 and the portion 7.

21, Fig. 1, is a cover plate for closing the space 3 when the sash are stored under the floor 3.

22, Fig. 4, shows a stationary letter board having an angle end 23, the latter being adapted to engage one end of the sash box or side members when the same is pushed into the space 7 a and retracted a small amount the part 23 holding the box in place and secured by any suitable fastening means.

The operation of the device is as follows The upper portion of the side members are pushed outward until the pins 14 strike the lower portion of the slot or channel 16 the boxes are then raised until the pins are in the curved portion 17 of the channel or groove and at said point the bottom of the boxes are raised and pushed into the space 7 The operation is plainly shown by the full and dotted lines in Figs. 1 and 2 so that further description is deemed unnecessary. 24 (Figs. 1 and 5) are door bolts for securing the boxes Sin the studs and preventing rattling.

The purpose of providing two pockets or spaces, one 3 near the floor of the car and the other 7 in the roof, is to permit the use of sash boxes 8 varying somewhat in height to be used in a given uniform design of car. For instance, referring to Fig. 1, if the car were higher and the sash boxes longer vertically, it might not be feasible to store the sash box in the space 7 in which case they would be removed from between the uprights 5 and stored in the lower pockets 3 It will be understood that the transverse length of the space 7 is curtailed by the projecting roof shown in Fig. 4 and commonly present in street cars, while the available length of the space 3 is one half the width of the car. A further advantage following from the use of two pockets, even in cases where the sash boxes will go in either, is that the said boxes may be quickly slid into the upper pockets because of the continuous engagement of the pins 14 with the grooves 16, and the car readily converted into an open car for a days use or less, and as easily reconverted into a closed car if colder weather follows. On the other hand when the season has so far advanced that it is improbable that the car will be again required to be closed the said sash boxes may be removed from between the uprights by tipping them sidewise, and then they may be somewhat more securely stored for the summer in the lower pockets, in which position they will make the car less topheavy than if stored in the upper pockets.

Having described our invention what we claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. A convertible railway car or similar vehicle comprising studding having grooves therein, independent sash carrying boxes or side members therebetween, said grooves having a pocket at their lower ends, said. boxes or sides adapted to be guided into said grooves from said pockets by tilting the boxes.

2. A convertible railway car comprising studding or uprights, box sash carrying side members movably positioned therebetween,

grooves in said studding, said grooves having a curved upper portion and an angular or pocket portion at their lower ends, and means for guiding the side members vertically to the roof of the car in the path of said grooves.

3. A convertible railway car comprising studding provided with grooves, said grooves having a vertical, horizontal and a curved portion, a pocket or enlargement at the lower end of the vertical groove, and side members of the car adapted to traverse the said grooves.

4. A convertible railway car and its roof, of studding provided with guideways to the roof, box side members of the car adapted to traverse said guideways, a recess in the roof members for receiving a transom, and means for placing the box sides over or upon said transom.

5. In a convertible street car, a floor; a roof, a plurality of supports extending from said floor and adapted to support said roof a plurality of side members adapted to close the spaces between adjacent supports; a plurality of pockets formed in'the roof of the car and. into which said side members may be moved; and a plurality of auxiliary pockets adjacent the floor of the car within which said side members may be stored.

6. In a convertible street car, a floor; a roof a plurality of supports extending from said floor and adapted to support said roof; a plurality of roof beams corresponding in number with said supports; a groove in each of said supports; a groove in each of said roof beams forming a continuation of the groove in said support a plurality of side members adapted to close the spaces between the adjacent supports; a projection upon either side of said side members and adapted to engage and move in said grooves; the lower end of the groove in said supports extending transverse to said supports; and a sash carried by each of said side members.

7. In a convertible street car, a floor, a roof, a plurality of supports extending from said floor and adapted to support said roof; a plurality of side members adapted to close the space between adjacent supports; a plural ity of pockets formed in the roof of the car and into which said side members may be moved; means for guiding said side members as they are moved into and out of said pockets; and a plurality of auxiliary pockets adj acent the floor of the car within which said side members may be stored.

8. In a convertible street car, a floor, a roof comprising transversely extending roof beams; a plurality of supports extending from said floor and adapted to support said rool'; a plurality of side members adapted to close the space between adjacent supports; a plurality of pockets formed in the roof of the car and into which said side members may be moved; means comprising grooves in said supports and roof beams and a pro ection upon elther side of said side members for guiding said side members as they are moved into and out of said pockets; and a plurality of auxiliary pockets adjacent the floor of the ear Within which said side members may be stored.

9. In a convertible street car, a lloor; a roof; a plurality of supports extending from said floor and adapted to support said roof, each support having a groove extending longitudinally thereof and a second transversely extending groove at the lower end of said longitudinal groove; a plurality of side members adapted to close the space between adjacent supports; a projection upon either side of said side members and adjacent the upper end thereof and adapted to move in said grooves; and a plurality of pockets adjacent the roof of said car into which said side members may be moved.

in testimony whereof We have hereunto affixed our signatures in the presence of tWo witnesses.

MAURICE P. HENVIS. DANIEL S. CLARK. Vitnesses:

YALTER B. BUR-ROW, AUGUSTUS V. Evans. 

